A variety of methods and articles are known for cleaning the skin above and beyond normal daily cleansing. For example, face masks are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,711 to Gerstein. This mask is a composition containing hydrolyzed grain endproducts, seaweed derivatives, and water. The composition is applied to the skin and allowed to dry for an appropriate period of time. The composition is then rinsed off with water. This rinse away mask deep cleans the skin and removes dead surface cells and other skin debris.
Another type of mask, referred to as a "peel away" mask is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,142, to Saute, where a paste of sodium polystyrene sulfonate is applied to the skin and allowed to dry to form a film. When the dried film is removed from the skin by peeling away, scurf skin and sebaceous soil is also removed. Rinse away and peel away masks have their disadvantages. In particular, some consumers believe that rinse away masks are not as effective in cleaning the skin because they are simply rinsed off the skin when dried. On the other hand, while peel away masks are believed to better cleanse skin and remove dead surface cells, it is often difficult to peel the mask away from the skin after it has dried. The dried film often rips as it is peeled away, or stubbornly clings to certain areas of the skin such as beneath earlobes and alongside the nose.
The problems with rinse away and peel away masks were addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,277, which teaches a method for removing keratotic plugs by layering a composition containing a salt forming polymer (i.e. an anionic, cationic, or amphoteric homopolymer or copolymer) onto a fabric patch made of rayon, nylon, and the like. The patch is applied to moistened skin for a certain period of time, then peeled away, leaving keratotic plugs and dead surface cells adhered to the removed patch. The pore strips described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,277 are effective in removing keratotic plugs and dead surface cells, the salt forming polymers used therein tend to irritate the skin as well as to unduly "strip" the skin surface cells. Over-stripped skin may be tender or raw, and very sensitive.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and compositions for deep cleaning skin and removing dead surface cells, dirt, oil, and keratotic plugs or blackheads, without causing skin irritation or over stripping skin surface cells.